Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus



Dec; 23, 1952 v R. D. SALMON KEYBOARD CONTROLLED TELEGRAPH APPARATUSFiled Sept. 27, 1949 INVENTOR PEGl/YAL D SALMON ATTORNEY Patented Dec.23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,623,118 KEYBOARD CONTROLLEDTELEGRAPH APPARATUS Reginald Dennis Salmon, Cr'oyclon, England,- as

Signor to, Creed and Company Limited, Croydon, England, a Britishcompany Application September 27, 1949, Serial N 118,123

In Great Britain October 8, 1948 8 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to keyboard controlled telegraphapparatus.

In transmitters from which a characteristic signal combination is sentupon the depression of any key lever, it is clearly desirable to introduce means to ensure that the transmission of each signal combination iscompleted before transmission of the next is commenced. I This may beachieved in known manner by locking the code bars in which the varioussignal combinations are set up for the period necessary for completetransmission of each signal combination. Since the speed of transmissionof each signal combination is predetermined and since locking of thecode bars prevents the operation of a sec ond key lever, the averagespeed at which such a transmitter can be operated is considerably lowerthan that to which a typist is accustomed.

In the invention to be described, upon the operation of any key lever,the code bars are locked only for a period of time suticient to allowthe combination set thereon to be transferred to a plurality of storagemembers by which the ultimate transmission is controlled and the codebars are then free to take up another setting.

The introduction of storage means has previously been proposed for usein conjunction'with keyboard controlled telegraph transmitters havingseparate character keys for letters and figures and in which a caseshift signal is transmitted automatically on change of case. In thespecifications of British Patents Nos. 388,785 and 442,662 there weredisclosed two such transmitters. In each of these, means is vprovidedfor transferring the elements of at least one signal combination from aplurality of code bars to" a plurality of storage members in order thatthe two signal combinations which are required to be transmitted foreach single depression of a key. lever on change of case, may betransmitted consecutively by the same transmitting contacts. In each ofthese machines, two separate cam sleeves are provided. The firstcontrols the means for elfecting the transfer of each combination-fromthecode bars to the storage members. The. secend is brought intooperation by means operable from the first and controls the reading ofthe combination set on the storage members and its subsequenttransmission. Since the second cam sleeve does not begin to operateuntil after the first has started its rotation, an inevitable delay isintroduced and it is clearly an advantage if the functions of storing,reading and transmitting can be under the control of a common camsleeve.

According to one aspect of the present inventhan there is providedkeyboard controlled telegraph apparatus comprising key levers, storagemembers and means under the control of a single cam sleeve fortransferring any combination set on the said code bars to said storagemembers and for reading said storage members for subsequent utilisationof the stored combination.

According to another aspect of the present invention the said transfertakes place during the sending of the start element immediatelypreceding the sending of the elements of the stored combination.

Referring to the drawing, a key lever l, representing only one characterof a keyboard (not shown), cooperates with five code bars, of which twoonly, 2 and 3 are shown, and a universal bar i. The code bars 2, 3 aremoved to right or left in the drawing according to the particularcharacter key lever depressed and remain in the positions into whichthey were last moved. The universal bar 4 is moved to the left in thedrawing by whatever character key is depressed and on release of the keyis moved into the position shown in the drawing by a spring 5.

The bar 4 is linked to a bell crank lever B pivoted on an axis 1 andlinked with the end of one arm of bell crank lever 6 is an arm 8. Arm 8is held by a spring 8 against a fixed stop (not shown). An arm 1 lpivoted on an axis I2 is provided with a turned over portionl0 and ispulled downwards by a spring 13 so that the turned over portion I0 is ina position to be acted upon by a shoulder M on the arm 8 when the latteris actuated. A lug I5 on arm H is situated below a lug IS on an arm I!pivoted on the axis I2. Arms H and H are urged towards one another by aspring 18. When a character key lever is depressed, the key' bar I movesthe universal bar 4 to the left against spring 5 and bell crank lever 6'is rotated clockwise. Arm 8 is moved upwards and arm H is consequentlyrotated counterclockwise. Arm H is thus pushed counterclock wise aboutits axis l2.

A frame l9, pivoted on an axis 20 is urged clockwise by a spring 2| sothat an abutment 22 thereon rests against an abutment 23 on the end ofarm l1. When, therefore, the abutment 23 rises, the frame i9 is movedclockwise by a spring 2|, the abutment 22 moving under the abutment 23and holding the arm I! out of normal position. An arm 24 is formed as anextension of frame [9, and when the frame 19 rotates, the end of arm 24rotates a bell crank lever 25 on its. pivot 26 carried by a resilientmounting. Spring 39- returns the bell crank lever 25' to its originalposition by means of a;;detent 25a.-

Bcll crank lever 25 normally holds a pawl 21 out sponding member 33counter-clockwise.

a well-known form of ratchet clutch. A more.

detailed explanation of a clutch mechanism utilized in the device may beseen in more detail in 14 of applicants copending application filed July17, 1947, and bearing Serial No. 761,523.

Each of the code bars such as 2 and 3 is linked with a correspondingbell-crank lever 3 I, all these levers being pivotally mounted on acommon axis 32. Each bell-crank lever is linked with a correspondingmember 33. All the members 33 are pivotally mounted on a common axis 34.Each member, 33 is formed with two upward projections and with ahorizontal projection 33 ter- =minating in a knife edge. Fixed to bottomof .frame [9 is a horizontal projection 3'! terminating 4 position shownin the drawing the left hand extension 35 engages the left hand arm ofthe member 4| and this latter member is rotated clockwise and rotatesthe corresponding storage member 33, with which it is linked, acounterclockwise direction through a small are. If, on the other hand, amember 33 has been rotated counter-clockwise the right hand extension 35engages the right hand arm of member 4| this in a knife edge whichcooperates with the knife edges of the projections 36 on the members 33.

' If a code bar such as 2 or 3 is moved to the right; its correspondingbell-crank lever 3| is rotated counter-clockwise and rotates itscorresponding member 33 clockwise. If a code bar is moved to the leftits corresponding bell-crank lever3l is rotated clockwise and rotatescorre- It is to benoted that the members 33 are rotated, by movement oftheir corresponding code bars, simultaneously with the lifting of arm I!to release the frame l9 so that when the frame 19 rotates "clockwiseunder the influence of its spring 2| the projection 31 enters betweenthose projections 36. that have rotated in the different directions andthe members 33 are thus locked in the positions they have taken up. Thecode bars 2, 3 are thus also looked in displaced position and whilstthey are thus locked no other key bar can be .fully actuated or have anyeffect on them.

The cam sleeve 30 is driven through the ratchet clutch engaged as abovedescribed and the first operation carried out during the rotation of thecam sleeve is to transfer the setting of the five members 33 to fivecorresponding storage members'38.

These storage members 38 are pivotally mounted'ln such manner that,while free to be rotated through a limited arc, they will befrictionally held in the respective positions into which they have beenmoved. Each member 38 is provided with a downward extending slot toreceive the upper end of an inverted T-member 41 (two only of which areshown). The T-members 4! are pivotally mounted on a rod 42, carried inframe in a manner permitting each to be given a pivotal movementindependent of the others. The frame .40 is pivotally mounted on axis l2and is provided with a rearward extension 43 which is linked to one endof a spring 44. Spring 44 urges frame 40 in a counterclockwise directionabout axis l2 and so holds a cam follower 45 mounted on an upwardextension 46 of frame 40, against a cam 41 on cam sleeve 30.

As cam sleeve 30 rotates, cam 4'! thereon moves frame 40 in a clockwisedirection against spring 44 and brings members 4| against members 33.

One or other of the arms on each inverted T- member 4| is broughtagainst an upward projection 35 of the corresponding member 33. If amember 33 has been rotated clockwise-from the member is rotatedcounter-clockwise and the corresponding member 38 is rotated clockwisethrough a small arc.

After members 38 have been thus set, the cam follower 45 comes on to alower part of the cam 41 and frame 43 is raised by a spring 44 acting onextension 43. At the same time cam 48 on cam sleeve 30 acts through themedium of a bell crank lever 49, pivoted at 50 to rotate arm 8 clockwiseclear of the portion 13 of lever ll. Lever I I is rotated clockwise bythe spring [3 until it again rests on its fixed stop, and when the humpof the cam 43 has passed the end of the bell crank lever 49, arm 8 isrotated counterclockwise by spring 9. If the key that has been actuatedhas been released and universal bar 4 has been drawn back to normalposition by spring 5, the arm 8 has been lowered, permitting spring 13to return the arm II to its stop, and bringing the shoulder [4 on arm 8below the turned-over portion Hi again. The spring 9 will then urge arm8 counter-clockwise on to its fixed stop. Should the key not have beenreleased, the arm II when released from the shoulder l4 rotatesclockwise under the influence of spring l3, the turned over portion l0now coming below the shoulder on the still uplifted arm 8, which comesto rest against turned over portion I!) as the hump on the cam passesthe end of the bell crank 49. It will thus be seen that arm [0 will belowered whether the key be released or not.

After cam 48 has performed this operation it acts on an arm 5! which isnormally held by spring 52 in position to be acted on by the cam. Arm 5iis pivoted on axis 20 and one end abuts against a turned over portion 53on frame 19.

Frame [9 is thus rotated in a counterclockwise direction about axis 20against spring 2| and its upper extension arm 24 moves away from bellcrank lever 25 thus allowing the latter to be restored by its spring(not shown) into the path of the pawl 21 so as to remove the pawl fromengagement with the ratchet wheel 28 on the completion of onerevolution. This movement of the frame l9 unlocks the members 33, and,consequently. code bars 2 and 3. The code bars are thus free to take upanother setting. i

As soon as frame l9 has made this counterclockwise movement, arm is freeto move towards arm ll under the action of spring l8.

Thus, when the crest of cam 48 has passed the crest of the associatedprojection on arm 5| and frame I9 is urged to rotate in a clockwisedirection by spring 2| the frame 19 is prevented from doing so by theabutment 22 coming into contact with the abutment 23 on arm H which isnow in its normal position. As has beenpreviously pointed out, arm IIhas ben lowered,

allowed to be moved to the right by spring 5 and lever 8 is thus drawndownwards until shoulder I4 is once more under turned-over portion it oflever H. It will thus be seen that continued depression of one key leverwill not have any further effect.

The keyboard is now free for operation of a second key lever. If thisoccurs, arms H and H are operated as previously described and frameleis. moved in a clockwise direction and re-locks membersv 33 in theirnew setting and through them combination bars 2 and 3. At the same time,the upward extension 24 of frame l9 acts to Withdraw bell crank lever 25from the path of the pawl 21.

Qo-operating with the five storage members 36 are f ve cranked levers,two only, of which, 54 and 55 are shown. Each of these levers has threelimbs an upper, 56 and 51, a lower 58 and 59 and a horizontal BB and Elfor levers 54 and 55 respectively. These levers are pivoted on an axis52' at the origin of the three limbs of each lever.

A spring- 63 acting on lower limb 58 of lever 54 tends to make lever 54turn in a clockwise direction about axis 62 and urges a projection onhorizontal limb 60 to follow the contour of a cam 54 on cam sleeve 31].A similar spring 65 acts on lower limb 59 of lever 55 and urges aprojection on horizontal limb 8| of lever 55 to follow the contour ofanother earn 6 s 0 cam sleeve 3a. The other lev rs not Sh wn. arecontrolled in like manner, by corresponding cams and the five cams arecut in such a way as to allow the five levers to fall and rise a ain ina regular sequence once for every revolution of cam sleeve 30. Thehorizontal limbs 60 and 61 project beyond earns 64 and E5 sufficientlyfor each of them to rest upon the upper extremity of one of the storagemembers 38 if that particular storage member has been moved to the leftby the setting of its corresponding code bar. In this event. the leverconcerned is prevented from following the contour of its respective cam.Thus, in the drawing, each lever will only move. if its associated codebar is moved initially toward the cam-shaft. In addition tov the livecranked levers such as 54 and 55 cooperating with storage meme bers 3.8and operated according to the five elements of a code combination, asimilar cranked lever 67 is mounted on axis 62 and urged by a spring 68to follow cam 6.9 on cam sleeve in similar manner to the other save thatthere is nothing to. prevent it following the. contours of cam 69. Thiscam 69 turns lever 61 in a counter-v clockwise direction as soon as camsleeve 30 begins to rotate and keeps it there until, the end of arevolution. This lever 61 controls the sending of start" and stopsignals as will be described later.

The upper limbs such as 55 and '5'! of all six cranked levers cooperatewith a bus bar Ill provided with brackets H and 12 at each end whichallow it to swing radially about an axis 13 parallel to its length. Itis urged in a counter-clockwise, direction by a spring 14. An upwardextension of bracket 12 carries a leaf T5 pivoted on an axis '16. Theother end of leaf 15 is bent upwards and formed into a knife edge 11. Atthe same end, leaf 14 is slidably mounted between two turned-overportions 18 and 19 of a frame 80 mounted on axis 13. The framev 85carries two rearward projecting limbs 8| and 82. The shorter of these BIis urged by a spring 83 to rotate the frame 80in a counter-clockwisedirection about axi T s ke ps h nd of the longer limb 82 against a cam84 mounted on cam sleeve 30 and provided with seven projections. As cam34 rotates, it turns frame 88 about axis 13 in a clockwise directionseven times in a revolution releasing it sharply each time. The end ofleaf 15 which carries the knife edge 11 is thus pulled down and backseven times in a revolution by the turned over portions 18 and 19 offrame 80. Each time one of the levers 54, 55 or 61 is rotated clockwiseby its respective cam, it acts upon bus bar Hi to turn it clockwiseabout axis 13. This moves leaf (5 horizontally so that knife edge PE ismoved to the right or the left according to the action of each of thesix levers. An inverted knife edge is formed at the bottom of thecontact lever 86 whose upper extremity 81 can make contact with eitherof two fixed contact members 88 and 89. In the drawing contact 88 is thespacing contact and contact 89 is the marking contact. The invertedknife edge has a limited arc of movement between the two positions thatknife edge H can take up. A jockey roller 90 mounted on a leaf 5| ispressed against the lower extremity of contact lever 86 by a spring 92and ensures that the contact lever 16 makes a positive movement in onedirection or the other.

It has already been shown that knife edge 1'! on leaf 15 will occupy oneor other of two positions, each O the seven times it is allowed to risein a revolution according to whether a mark or a space is intended andknife edge ll will act on knife edge 35 to move contact lever 35 in thedirection necessary to make the mark or space as appropriate.

When camshaft 35 is stationary, a projection on lever 61 rests in thehollow of cam 69 and the upper limb of lever 61 acts on bus bar 10 toturn it clockwise about axis 13 thus keeping the knife edge Tl on lea-f'15 to the right of knife edge 85 on contact lever 85. In this positionthe upper extremity 8'! of contact lever 86 is held in contact. withfixed contact member 89 and a continuous marking signal is transmitted,i. e. the stop signal. .As soon as camshaft 30 begins to rotate, arm.6'! is rotated counterclockwise by cam 59 thus allowing bus bar 10 toturn counterclockwise under the action of spring 74, and to draw knifeedge 11 on leaf 75 to the left. At the same time knife edge TI is drawndownwards by the action of the first projection on cam 84 acting onlever 82, to, pass under knife edge 85. Knife edge. 1! is then broughtsharply upwards as lever 82 falls into the first depression on cam 84and the reaction between the two knife edges 71 and 85 is such as tobring the upper extremity 8 of contact lever 86 into contact with fixedcontact member 88 and thus to. transmit a spacing signal i. e. the startsignal. The next five projections on cam 84 hold knife edge 11 clear ofknife edge 85 for a sufficient length of time to allow it to take up aposition either to the right or the left of knife edge 85 depending onwhether each successive code element is a marking; or a spacing element.When all five elements have been, transmitted, cam 84 acts once more toallow knife edge TI to take up a position to the right of knife edge 85as cam 69. completes a revolution and a stop signal is sent as before.

If no further key lever has been operated, bell crank lever 25 is in thepath of the pawl 21, and the cam sleeve 30, is arrested atthe end of therevolution, a stop condition continuing to be sent whilst the cam sleeveremains at rest.

If a second key lever has been operated during the above-describedrevolution of cam sleeve 39, the bell crank lever will have been removedfrom the path of pawl 21 as described above and the cam sleeve willcontinue to rotate. The code bars 2 and 3 will not be unlocked until thenew setting has been transferred to storage members 38 and thus a thirdkey lever I cannot be operated until this transfer has been effected butafter that, a third key lever can be operated during the secondrevolution of the cam sleeve.

In order to ensure that the abutments 22 and 23 on frame [9 and arm I!respectively make sufficient contact with each other to hold frame 19 inthe unlocking position after the operation of cam 48, it is essentialthat arm l1 shall drop to its full extent before frame l9 can returnunder the influence of spring 21. This is only possible if arm [I hasalso dropped to its full extent. If the arms H and I! be formed as aunitary member, when cam 48 acts upon bell crank lever 49, this memberwill not be able to be drawn down immediately since time is required toswing frame 19 through a small are before this can happen. Now if thekey is not released or is being so slowly released that the arm 8 isstill in raised position when bell crank lever 49 moves arm 8 clockwiseand then allows it to return, there is a danger that arm 8 may returnbefore this unitary member can fall. In such a case, when the unitarymember is free to fall, it would still be held up by the shoulder M onarm 8 and it has been found that in such circumstances it is possiblethat arm I! does not fall sufficiently to cause abutments 22 and 23 tomeet squarely, but the abutment 22 may ride under abutment 23. Thus arml9 would be free to rotate clockwise again and relock the code bars. Atthe same time the detent 25a on bell crank lever 25 would be moved outof the path of the pawl 21 and the cam sleeve would fail to be arrestedat the end of a revolution. This risk has been obviated by the use ofthe two arms II and Il connected by spring [8 as shown and operating aspreviously described.

A run-out key 93 is provided to allow the transmission of a previoussignal combination to be repeated as many times as required. When key 93is depressed it moves its associated bar 94 to the left against the pullof a spring 95 and rotates a bell crank lever 96 in a clockwisedirection about axis 1. The other end of bell crank lever 95 raises anarm 91 and a shoulder 98 on arm 91 raises the turned-over end 19 oflever II. This starts the rotation of cam sleeve '30 as before andwhatever has been set on storage members 38 will be re-transmitted. Itwill be noted that run out key 93 does not operate the code combinationbars 2 and 3 nor the universal bar 4. Moreover, lever 91 is not affectedby cam 48 so that arm II is held in actuated position so long as key 93is kept depressed and the cam sleeve is not stopped at the end of onerevolution but continues to rotate.

In the embodiment illustrated, a five-unit code was employed, but it isintended that any other code may be utilised, the code bars of thestorage members being increased or decreased in number to correspond tothe number of code elements to be utilised in the selected code.

While the principles of the invention have been described above inconnection with specific embodiments and particular modificationsthereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is madeonly by way of example and notes a limitation on the scope of theinvention.-

What is claimed is:

1. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus comprising a plurality of keylevers representing the characters to be transmitted, a plurality ofcode bars, one for each element of a code, said bars adapted to be setunder control of a first of said levers, a plurality of storage members,one for each element of a code, a continuously rotating shaft, a singlecam sleeve, clutch means adapted to couple said sleeve to said shaft, alocking member, means operable directly by any one of said key levers tomove said locking member in one direction to effect the locking of saidcode bars and to directly control said clutch means, means operable bysaid cam sleeve to transfer to said storage members any combination seton said code bars, means operable by said cam sleeve to move saidlocking member in the opposite direction to unlock said code bars aftersaid transfer, means operable by said cam sleeve to position a detent toarrest said cam sleeve after a predetermined degree of revolution, meansfor reading the combination stored by said storage members, andutilization means coupled to said last named means for utilizing thestored combination.

2. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 2 whereinsaid means for transferring any combination on said bars operates duringthe sending of the start element immediately preceding the sending ofthe elements of the stored code combination.

3. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1,further comprising a plurality of linking members, each adapted to bemovably linked between corresponding of said code bars and said lockingmember, said linking members having a knife-edge, said locking memberhaving a knife edge adapted to cooperate with the respective knife edgesof said linking members, the knife edges of said linking membersarranged to selectively engage one side or the other of the knife edgeof said locking member when said locking member is moved in a firstdirection, such alternate engagement under control of said code bars,said locking member locking the position of said linking members andsaid code bars when said locking member is moved in said firstdirection.

4. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 1,comprising means allowing the movement of said locking member in saidfirst mentioned direction by the operation of a second of said keylevers during the reading of said storage members, whereby the code barsare re-locked and said cam sleeve is allowed to perform a secondrevolution to transfer a sec-- ond setting of said code bars to saidstorage members.

5. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 1 furthercomprising a universal bar adapted to be actuated by any of said keylevers, two latch members, the first of said latch members being soplaced as to hold said locking member in unlocking position and saidsecondlatch member being interposed between said universal bar actuatedby any of said key levers and said first latch member, means for movingsaid second latch member on depression of a key lever to allow saidlocking member to move in said first mentioned direction, a cam on saidcam sleeve for releasing said first latch member from said second latchmember and for moving said locking member in the second -mentioneddirection and spring 9 means for returning said first latch member intoits original position.

5. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim, 5 inwhich said second latch member is formed with a shoulder normallyengaging said first latch member so as to move the latter with movementin one direction of the former, spring means urging said second latchmember into engagement with said first latch member whereby aftermomentary disengagement of said latch members by said cam, said firstlatch member can move beyond said shoulder so as to be unaffected bysaid second latch member until the latter is restored to normalposition.

7. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 6 in whichsaid first latch member is formed as two spring coupled levers havingabutting portions, one of said levers cooperating with said second latchmember and the other of said levers co-operating with said lockingmember, whereby the first mentioned lever is free to move ondisengagement from said second latch member and said second mentionedlever is urged to follow on disengagement from said locking member.

10 8. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 7comprising an additional key lever, a bar actuated solely by said keylever,-

REGINALD DENNIS SALE/ION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,902,943 Bancroft Mar. 23, 19331,953,066 Griffith Apr. 3, 1934 2,110,506 Griffith Mar. 8, 19382,352,031 Stiener June 20, 1944 2,355,657

Lake Aug. 14, 1944

